Makeshift scaffolding erected at a church in Ethiopia’s Amhara region collapsed on Wednesday, killing at least 36 people and injuring more than 200, according to state media.
The incident occurred early in the day at Menjar Shenkora Arerti Mariam Church in northern Ethiopia as worshippers gathered for an annual event celebrating St. Mary.
District Police Chief Ahmed Gebeyehu told state broadcaster: “The number of dead has reached 36 and could increase more,” adding that “more than 200 people have suffered injuries” and were receiving treatment at a local hospital.
Some people remained trapped under the rubble, local official Atnafu Abate told the agency, without providing details about rescue operations or how many might still be buried. He said several of the seriously injured had been transferred to hospitals in the capital.
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Images shared on a Facebook page showed collapsed wooden poles scattered across the church grounds, with crowds of people standing amid the wreckage. Other photos depicted the outside of the church, where scaffolding had been precariously set up.
A government statement carried expressed condolences to the victims’ families and stressed that “safety must be given priority”.
Officials acknowledged that health and safety regulations are virtually absent in Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous nation, where fatal construction accidents are common.
The tragedy underscores the fragility of infrastructure in a country that is home to one of the world’s oldest Christian communities. Ethiopia’s Axumite Empire declared Christianity the state religion in the fourth century, and churches continue to be central to its social fabric.
Teshale Tilahun, the local administrator, said the death toll could climb further. “It is a tragic loss for the community,” he told reporters.
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